The recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has put the Abraham Accords, brokered by the Trump administration, to the test. The accords, negotiated by Donald Trump, normalized relations between Israel and four Arab states: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco [24e08dde]. The signatories of the accords share a common cause with Israel in challenging militant Islam represented by Hamas and seek regional security alliances beyond their traditional reliance on the United States. Despite the rising death toll and anger in the Arab world, Bahrain and the UAE have shown their commitment to their relationship with Israel, demonstrating that the accords are surviving the Gaza war [9e129bf5]. However, the accords have also contributed to Palestinian alienation and anger. The transactional approach to foreign affairs and the reliance on Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, shaped the accords [24e08dde].
Jared Kushner, senior advisor on the Middle East and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to advance the Administration's efforts to reactivate peace negotiations. The meeting, which also included Trump's envoy Jason Greenblatt, aimed to address final status issues and reaffirm the commitment to establishing genuine and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Both sides acknowledged that forging peace will take time and discussed issues such as refugees and prisoners. Kushner assured Abbas of Trump's commitment to reaching a serious agreement [ac69ce74].
The Biden administration's response to the recent violence in Gaza and Israel is driven by a desire to balance support for Israel with warnings against overreach. The US has been seeking to disentangle itself from the Middle East and establish a security settlement that strengthens friendly regimes and constrains nonconforming ones. The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020, advanced this agenda by normalizing relations between Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE. However, the US's reduced appetite for interference in the region has allowed China to gain influence in the Arab world [f8a5eb19]. The current conflict in Gaza poses risks of escalation and could widen fissures in the Arab-Israeli axis. If Israel succeeds in demolishing Hamas, the US would have to grapple with the problem of succession and potentially restore its neo-colonial authority in the Middle East. Alternatively, a stalemate could lead to a ceasefire and a return to the status quo, benefiting the US by saving it from post-war governance responsibilities and allowing Israeli normalization to resume. However, the instability of the current security architecture built by Trump and Biden suggests that it may buckle again in the future [f8a5eb19].
US President Joe Biden and King Abdullah II of Jordan discussed by phone multilateral efforts to reach a new ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. President Biden briefed King Abdullah on ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages, as well as preparations for the delivery of humanitarian aid during the ceasefire. The leaders also discussed the situation in the West Bank and President Biden's call for reform and efforts to strengthen the viability of the Palestinian National Authority [ef378af9].
President Joe Biden falsely claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a detailed peace plan during a rally in Detroit. However, Netanyahu had previously rejected the plan and stated that there was no deal because Israel would not give up on completing its war objectives. Hamas, on the other hand, has accepted a framework agreement for negotiations. The peace deal involves allowing Palestinians to return to North Gaza, but Netanyahu has demanded an 'enforcement mechanism' for disarming returnees. Additionally, Netanyahu has started a permanent Israeli occupation of the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah checkpoint crossing on the Egyptian side of the border. Biden's remarks about the war in Gaza and his peace process have been criticized for being dishonest and lacking in leverage on Israel. The ongoing Israeli total war on Gaza has resulted in numerous civilian casualties [ec992afd].